When Judith Whiteside was a selectman over 25 years ago she spearheaded the effort to build the Leonard C. Lopes Memorial Playground in Onset. She recently asked the community to help clean the park, and to perhaps rebuild it into something even better.

"The Lopes Field then, as now, was central to the residents of the Onset portion of town, and it needed sprucing up," Whiteside said at the April 15 Selectmen's meeting.

She said on May 10 there will be a "community clean and preen" to restore the playground. According to Whiteside, the JROTC program at the high school will be spread new pea-stone, which will be delivered the day before by municipal maintenance.

The old signage at the playground has been removed and the Cape Verdean Association, through Michael Roderick, has made arrangements to pay for new signage.

She also said Chief Ray Goodwin of the Onset Fire Department is planning to power wash the cement and basketball courts, while Guy Campinha of the Water Pollution Control District will be adding trees and flowers.

"We're looking for donations of time, money and materials, said Whiteside. She listed refreshments for workers, the loan of heavy street brooms and wheel barrows, rakes, donations of worker gloves, industrial plastic bags, paint and perennials as needed items.

"We are also looking for carpenters who can help us rebuild the picnic tables, and do repair work as needed," she said. "On May 10 were just going to be making it safe, but I really want to refurbish the playground."

Whiteside said she would like to see a safer, newer community-planned and designed playground project to take place.

She said of the effort, quoting Margaret Mead "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

For more information on how to help, contact Whiteside at jwhiteside@wareham.ma.us, Selectman Patrick Tropeano at ptropeano@wareham.ma.us or Roger Long at roger5628@verizon.net.